Chasing Dreams
by Count Doofus
Summary: Rainbow Dash's life-long dream finally becomes true. But what if that dream disrupts the dream of another?
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_**

**_- This fic is intended as a one-shot entry in a writing competition, but it's still in development, so I will highly appreciate each and every single review that contains useful critiques and suggestions for improvement.  
- English isn't my native language, so I apologize if some of the words or description I use appear cumbersome.  
- I know we've seen as much as 10 Wonderbolts, but this fic will limit itself to 6, being those we have seen in the "Sonic Rainboom" episode.  
- This isn't my first fic, but it is my first MLP fic, so I hope I'm not going too much OoC with everyone's favorite ponies.  
- Most of all: enjoy!_**

* * *

_Now if I just move this cloud this way... Aaaaand... done! That's the last one._

Rainbow Dash smiled at her handiwork. Applejack had asked her to provide her orchard with a downpour, to provide it with some much-needed watering. Rainbow didn't feel like it at first, since Applejack caught her in the middle of a napping session. But the pegasus was part of the weather team after all, something the earth pony seemingly needed to remind her of. Furthermore, she didn't have anything else to do that day anyway, so she complied.

Sweet Apple Acres was big, so it took Rainbow Dash a good few hours to find, gather and position enough rainclouds over the entire orchard. But it was imperative every single tree got its share of liquid nutrition, since Applejack's farm was Ponyville's only source of apples. So in order to provide the town with them, not to mention keep a stock of their own for Cider Season, they needed an ample supply of the fruit to give the trees enough time to grow new ones.

Rainbow headed back to the farmhouse, and knocked on the door.

"Hey, AJ, I'm done! Wanna come out and take a look?"

Big was her surprise when the door flung open and Applejack jumped out, tackling Rainbow Dash to the ground. When they skidded to a halt, Applejack covered the pegasus' mouth with her hoof.

"Sshhh," she whispered, "Granny's takin' a nap. Quit yer hollerin'!"

"Hmpf hmmf prff!" Rainbow tried to speak.

"What's that?" Applejack asked, after which she removed her hoof so the pegasus could speak.

"I said, 'Are you crazy?' There's no need to jump me like that."

The orange earth pony gave a sheepish chuckle. "Heh, sorry. You know how cranky Granny Smith can be when somepony wakes her up."

"Anyway," Rainbow said while getting up and batting the dust from her mane, "I'm done with the clouds. Whatcha' think?"

"Yee-haw!" Applejack exclaimed, getting up on her hind legs and kicking the front ones around for a second, when she saw the sky above the tree orchard covered with clouds. "Heavens to Betsy, nicely done, RD!" Her cheerful face turned into a frown when she noticed something was off, which didn't go unnoticed.

"What? What's the matter?" Rainbow asked.

"Uh... they ain't raining."

"Oh yeah, that. These clouds weren't scheduled to rain today, so a pegasus needs to jump on them. I was thinking of getting Fluttershy's help to do that."

"Alrighty then, works for me! I'll be here if y'all need me."

Rainbow levitated herself off the ground.

"Right, I'll be back before you even know it!" after which she took off into the sky towards Ponyville.

* * *

As Rainbow Dash glided through the air, she cast her gaze downward at the bustling town underneath her. Unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi alike trotted or gently flew through the streets of Ponyville, all concerned with their own matters at hoof.

Sometimes she felt bad for the unicorns and earth ponies below, who'd never get to enjoy the thrill of flying. It was unquestionably the most awesome thing ever, especially for a pegasus like Rainbow Dash. Sure, there existed a few spells unicorns could make use of to allow ponies to get a taste of the incredible sensation of flight, but only creatures with natural wings were truly blessed with such a benevolent gift. Most of them anyway, considering chickens, penguins, ostriches and such. Even her pet tortoise was granted the ability to fly, albeit mechanically.

_That reminds me, I need to pick up some food for Tank. Might as well ask Fluttershy if she has anything once I get there._

The rest of Rainbow's flight was uneventful as she landed on the doorstep of Fluttershy's cottage, nestled at the outskirts of Ponyville on one side, and at the edge of the Everfree Forest on the other. The forest was a terrifying and creepy place, especially for a timid pegasus like Fluttershy. But if it meant her animal friends could reach her faster in their time of need by living close to them, then that's the price she was more than willing to pay.

Dash knocked on the front door. "Fluttershy! Are you home? It's me, awesome Rainbow Dash!"

Expecting the yellow, pink-haired pegasus to open the door, she came peeking from around the corner of her house instead.

"Oh, hi there, Rainbow Dash. I was out back, feeding the chickens," Fluttershy said in her usual quiet voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Hiya, Fluttershy!" Rainbow cheerily greeted her. "Two things, actually. I need some food for Tank, still got some?"

"Sure! Come on in," she replied, and held open the front door of her cottage for Rainbow to enter. While Fluttershy rummaged around her animal food supplies in a separate room, she asked, "And what's the other thing?"

"I'm helping Applejack watering her orchard, and I was wondering if you were willing to help me."

Fluttershy retreated from the food storage room, holding a bag of tortoise food in her hooves. Setting the bag down with a rather grim look on her face, she said, "Oh, my. Sounds like a lot of work, and I promised Angel to go out later today. I don't know if I have the time."

Rainbow waved a dismissive hoof. "No need to worry about that. I already moved the clouds in position. All that's left to do is jump on them, and with you helping, we'll be done in half the time!"

Rainbow mused that in reality, she'd do three quarters of the work while Fluttershy'd do just a quarter, given her timidness. She didn't word that concern out loud, since she didn't want to upset her friend – something easily accomplished.

Fluttershy's face lit up like a foal earning its cutie mark. "That sounds much better! Sure, I'll help! Why don't I feed Tank for you, and then meet you at Sweet Apple Acres... You know, if that's okay with you."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, Fluttershy. I'll see you there, then. And thanks!"

"Oh, you're most..." But before Fluttershy could finish her sentence, Rainbow had already zoomed out of her house, causing her to emit a meek yelp. Angel, who was coming up at the front door after a small, relaxing afternoon walk, was sent spinning out of control by the passing cyan pegasus, and ended up face-first on the ground. He lifted his head and shook his fist at the ignorant Element of Loyalty, as menacing as he could be for a bunny.

* * *

Passing over Ponyville once more, Rainbow caught a glimpse of Twilight's library while heading back to Sweet Apple Acres.

_Hmm, I wonder if Twilight got the latest book in the Daring Do series yet. I'll go find out once I'm done with Applejack's orchard._

"Hey, watch out!"

Before Rainbow Dash could turn her head forward and check her surroundings, she slammed right into another pegasus flying in her path. She fumbled around for a second or two before rediscovering which way is up, and steadied her flight. Her eyes tumbled around in her head for another second before shifting back into focus.

"Mint! Are you okay?" Another, female voice called out.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Good thing I have a hard head," the first voice replied to the second, before shifting its attention to Rainbow Dash. "And you. Can't you see where you're going? So much free space up in the air, and still you manage to run into somepony!"

Rainbow got a good look at the pegasus yelling at her. It was a stallion, his coat a very pale shade of green and light blue hooves. His tail and mane were a contrasting dark blue, with a streak of soft yellow running through them. A tiny blue goatee hung from his chin, and his eyes were a striking orange.

"Well, right back at you, buddy," Rainbow responded. "You saw me first, so why didn't you move out the way yourself?"

"Because I was talking to my friend here, and didn't see you until just before we flew into each other," the stallion said, gesturing to his friend hovering next to him.

Rainbow shifted her sight to the other pegasus, and her jaw dropped open as wide as it could get. For flying next to the pale green pegasus was a yellow one, with a mane and tail the color of fire. Dash was at a loss for words when she laid her eyes upon Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts.

"Spit – you – I – Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" was all that Rainbow Dash was able to say.

"Hey, I remember you. You're... uh... Rainbow Flash, right?"

"Almost, heh," Rainbow said, scratching the back of her head with her hoof. She blushed deeply, at the notion of the Wonderbolt captain remembering her name. Mostly, anyway. "It's Dash."

"Right, Rainbow Dash." Spitfire turned to her friend, a puzzled look donning his face about these two mares being acquainted. "Peppermint, meet Rainbow Dash. Winner of the Best Young Flyer competition, and the only pegasus ever to have pulled off a Sonic Rainboom."

"Twice."

"Huh?"

"I did it twice," Rainbow corrected Spitfire. It was still unreal to her she was talking to her life-long idol, yet here she was. They talked at the Grand Galloping Gala as well, albeit briefly, but at least this time there were no high society ponies around to steal the Wonderbolt captain away from her.

"A Sonic Rainboom... twice?" Peppermint asked in astonishment. "How come she isn't a Wonderbolt yet?" he jokingly asked Spitfire.

This question hit Rainbow hard, like a punch in the face. Why WASN'T she a part of her dream team by now? After all, she did something no other pony ever managed to pull off – two times, even! Not to mention her spectacular moves she's been training on for years, which surely had the ability to sway even the most impressionable of ponies. The Wonderbolts were well aware of her skills, and she figured it was just a matter of time before she would receive an invitation in her mail one day. But the more time she spent with her friends, the more the idea of joining the Wonderbolts waned.

"Peppermint, you know why," Spitfire answered, faking a condescending tone.

"Yeah, I know, I'm just pulling your tail," he chuckled. "Well, we better keep moving, or you're gonna be late for practice!"

"Yeah, we should. Sorry, Rainbow, but we gotta, well, dash. Maybe we'll catch you later!"

"Bye, Rainbow," Peppermint said as Spitfire and he gained forward momentum, and passed by a stunned Rainbow Dash. "And hey, no hard feelings for running into me!" he called after her.

Dash's head was spinning, several questions swimming around in it. Spitfire had said "you know why." Does that mean they had considered inviting her after all? And why didn't they? Did they have a reason? What held them back?

Normally, with any other pony, she would turn back and directly confront Spitfire with these inquiries.

But this was no ordinary pony, not in the least. She wanted to follow and fly alongside Spitfire so badly, even in her path if need be, to ask her why she never got an invitation. But she didn't want to upset her idol, and consequently, possibly nullify her chances of joining the Wonderbolts.

She turned around, only to see Spitfire and Peppermint had already made quite some distance between them. She could've easily flown after them and catch up in no time, but let her better judgment prevail, if not reluctantly. She turned back and continued her trip back to Sweet Apple Acres to finish her chore there, albeit with a heavy mind now.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_

- _**Though I appreciate the 'welcome to the herd' messages, I've been a part of the herd for half a year, which isn't nearly long enough. Still, thanks! :)  
- This chapter was meant to be divided into two chapters, but they both were way too short to my liking. So have two merged into one!  
-Though I won't actively ask for reviews (I HATE it when people do that), I do ask that if you leave one, to nitpick as much as you can on anything that seemed out of place. Again, this story is intended as an entry in a competition which is due in 6 days, and I'd like to make it as believable as possible.  
- Once again: enjoy!**_

* * *

Celestia's enthralling sunlight beamed down on Rainbow's face through the bedroom window of her home in Cloudsdale. A week had passed since the encounter with the Wonderbolt captain and her friend, whose name eluded her once again as she woke up.

She thought back of that moment quite often, but tried not to let it weigh her down too much, taking Twilight's advice to heart. She had consulted with the lavender unicorn on the matter during her latest visit to the library on the same day. Twilight had suggested not to dwell on the 'what if's' or 'what could have been's', for the sake of her ability of thinking straight.

Getting out of her bed made of clouds, she casually strolled through her residence towards the front door, and grabbed the mail jutting out the slot in her mouth. Bringing the envelopes into the kitchen and placing them on the kitchen table, she prepared and poured herself a nice, steaming cup of coffee, and started going over the mail while taking a sip.

_Bills, bills, bills... coupons. Great._

Her eyes then fell on the last envelope of the stack, which was different than the others. The type of paper was slightly rugged and thicker than that of a normal envelope, the kind a refined pony like Rarity would use to invite a pony for a fancy banquet or an important fashion show.

_Ugh, if this is what I think it is, I'm in for a lame evening. Kudos to Rarity and her profession, but this is going to be as boring as watching paint dry..._

Rainbow took another sip from her coffee as she flipped the envelope around. Her eyes went wide as she did a spit-take, covering the table and everything on it in hundreds of brown droplets. Mouth agape, she stared at the seal that held the envelope shut.

It bore the image of a lightning bolt, shaped pretty much like her own cutie mark, only accompanied by a pair of wings instead of a cloud.

Letting the notion of its sender sink in, Rainbow slowly opened the letter with a trembling hoof. She had a pretty good idea of what it would say, but still handled the letter in slow-motion, as if it was extremely fragile and would crumble with the slightest touch of insensitivity.

Finally folding open the sheet of refined paper, her eyes darted across the elegantly written words, her widening eyes and the smile on her face reaching a new high with every word she passed.

At the end of the letter, she felt like a champagne bottle that had just been shaken vigorously. Every second, the excitement was building up until her body started trembling and her eyes started tearing, and could take no more.

"YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES! YEAH! OH MY GOSH!" she exploded, letting all her happiness explode in a degree that only Pinkie Pie would be able to rival. In her euphoria, she clenched the letter in her teeth, and rocketed through the cloudy wall of her home to the outside world, not caring in the least about the new, unorthodox point of entry into her residence.

* * *

_To the esteemed Rainbow Dash_

_Your flying skills haven't gone unnoticed. On several occasions, you have demonstrated your superb knowledge of complicated aerodynamics and aerial grace. Not in the very least, your participation and victory in the Young Flyer Competition have also continued to impress us, mostly due to your ability to trigger a Sonic Rainboom, a feat achieved multiple times only by yourself. A feat nopony has managed to accomplish in generations, and you should be rightfully proud of it. It goes without saying you are undoubtedly one, if not the best flyer of this time to grace the skies of Equestria._

_Therefor, we would like to present you with the opportunity to tryout for the prestigious spot as a member of the Wonderbolts. You will have to undergo several tests, but with flying skills of your level, I have no doubt you will pass these with flying colors – if you'll pardon the pun._

_Should you choose to accept our offer, please present yourself upcoming Monday at the Manechester Sports Arena in Cloudsdale._

_Yours sincerely_

_Spitfire_

_Captain of the Wonderbolts_

Twilight Sparkle felt much elation for Rainbow as she let the letter magically slip away from before her eyes, the latter pony flying around the library in circles, barely able to contain her excitement. The gust she created blew away several books and even some ornaments. Spike was doing his best running from left to right to grab whatever he could.

Dash felt the need to tell somepony – _anypony_ – the good news, and the studious unicorn was the first pony she could think of. Twilight was casually reading one of her favorite spellbooks on the library's main floor as Rainbow came crashing in through an open window (as she usually does). Before Twilight could even see what was going on, Rainbow had literally shoved the letter in her face.

"Rainbow Dash, this is wonderful. I'm so happy for you!"

"Wonderful? Try awesometasticly super... extremely... Ugh, I can't come up with the words to describe this! It's... like... like... the pinnacle of coolness, awesomeness and radicalness combined!" Dash shouted as she hovered in front of Twilight. Spike had allowed himself a moment to catch his breath and set aside the trinkets he managed to save from the pegasus' aerial onslaught, while she conversed with Twilight. Yet, as soon as she was done, she resumed her indoor flight, causing Spike to yelp as more geegaws and books began to scatter about.

"Ugh! Twilight, a little help, please?"

Using her unicorn magic, Twilight grabbed a hold of Rainbow's tail, leaving her suspended in mid-air and the pegasus herself dangling about.

"Okay Rainbow, I know you're happy, but try to settle down for a while. You're creating a tornado in here!"

"Heh, sorry 'bout that." Twilight released her.

"That's alright. After all, you've got a very good reason to be happy, to say the least. You want me to gather the girls, and have me use that 'walking-on-clouds' spell again so we can cheer you on?"

"Uh... If it's all the same to you, Twilight, I'd rather not. I'm gonna be a nervous wreck, and I can't afford any distractions and maybe fudge things up – no offense."

Spike had just finished returning all of Twilight's memorabilia to their respective places, and smiled at his handiwork, releasing a content sigh. Next thing he knew, he was being knocked into the wall by a sudden mass of pink, the impact sending the collectibles towards the floor once again. He snorted a small puff of smoke in frustration, as the pink mass bounced across the room, coming to a stop before Twilight and Dash.

"Did somepony say fudge? I love fudge! There's so many kinds of fudge like chocolate fudge, and coconut fudge, and peanut butter fudge and oh – I even found a recipe for fudge cookies once in Granny Cake's secret recipe book which I just HAVE to try someday, and I'll share with everypony of course! Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, FUDGE! I love fudge! There's also butterscotch fudge and mint fudge with walnuts and..."

Rainbow Dash groaned as Pinkie Pie droned on about the different types of sweetness.

"Do you guys mind bringing her up to speed? I gotta be in tip-top shape if I want to up my chances of officially joining the Wonderbolts!" The last words came out squealing as she spoke them.

"Sure thing, Dash. Good luck!" At that, Rainbow zoomed out the library, leaving in her wake a rainbow-colored trail, a lavender unicorn and a baby dragon to deal with an ever-excited pink earth pony.

* * *

Monday, for once, couldn't arrive sooner for Rainbow Dash as she made her way to Cloudsdale's only sports stadium. The day that announces the start of a new week and the cause of many ponies' irritation, might very well become the best day of her life.

_I still can't believe this is happening! Spitfire, Soarin', Fleetfoot, Rapidfire, Misty, Fire Streak... all my fillyhood heroes, and I'm about to meet them! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!_

The stadium Dash was heading to came into sight. It was the same arena where the previous competition was being held, and being a native of Cloudsdale, it wasn't hard for her to recall its location.

Coming to the front of the stadium, she noticed a distinct lack of activity. There were other pegasi around, but none of them had business with this particular structure. With a hoof trembling with anticipation, she nudged the front gate, which turned out to be firmly shut. Did they forget it was Monday, or had she come on a wrong day?

Looking up in the sky, she remembered the arena had an open roof – and floor – and began to wonder what purpose a gate would serve anyway. Nevertheless, she lifted herself up and flew over the wall, onto the proverbial stadium grounds proper.

At first, due to the sheer size of the stadium, it almost looked like it was devoid of life here as well, save for Rainbow Dash. Yet, in the middle of the arena, among the dozens of different agility courses, she spotted a single pegasus, waving her over. Coming closer, she noticed it wasn't any of the Wonderbolts, but that one pale green pony she bumped into earlier.

"Hi there, Rainbow Dash!" He greeted her.

"Uh... Hi..." she responded, slightly confused by the lack of her heroes. "I'm sorry, I forgot your name."

"That's okay, it's Peppermint."

"Oh, right. What are you doing here? Where's Spitfire and the rest?"

Peppermint gave a slight chuckle. "Don't worry, they'll be here. They're still dealing with some formalities elsewhere. In the meanwhile though, Spitfire asked if I could go ahead and begin your tests, take down your results."

Dash's eyes widened a little. "You? No offense, but why would she ask that of you?"

The brows of the pale green pegasus lowered a little. "Hmpf. Don't you have any friends that ask for a favor sometimes?"

"... Yeah, I do," Rainbow caved in, and sighed. "I guess I'm just a little disappointed the Wonderbolts aren't here. So, what would you have me do?"

"Like I said, they'll be here soon enough, don't worry," Peppermint perked up. "How about we start with a few laps?"

After the colt grabbed a clipboard that was tucked under his wing in his teeth, both pegasi flew over to an oval race course, which Rainbow knew was Fleetfoot's forte. After landing, Peppermint looked at the clipboard, checking the best and worst recorded times of this particular track.

"Let's see... The worst time recorded for three laps was one minute twenty-one seconds. If you can top that, you'll have passed this test."

"Hah, no problem. Ready when you are," Rainbow said after she made her way to the startline, primed and ready to take off.

"Aaaand..." Peppermint said as he held out a timer in his wing, which he pressed as soon as he shouted "Go!"

Rainbow left Peppermint behind her in a blur. The course took up a decent size of the arena floor, yet to her, it almost seemed too small as she rounded the first curve. After doing the same thing three more times, she shot over the starting line. Because of her speed, she didn't see Peppermint looking at his timer in disbelief. After two more laps, she skidded to a halt and trotted across the clouds back to the pseudo-judge. The latter shook his head, and hid his face behind the clipboard. Using his teeth, he wrote down Dash's results, and lowered the notebook.

"So, how'd I do? Broke the record, no doubt?" she boasted.

"Sorry, Dash. Can't tell you. Spitfire's request." he answered dryly. He also somehow looked... unimpressed.

Baffled, Rainbow's eyes and mouth flew wide open upon hearing this. Before she could protest, Peppermint spoke first. "Next up, the obstacle course. Right this way," he said as he made his way to said course. Rainbow grunted, and haphazardly followed, kicking a small cloud to smithereens in frustration in the process.

For every test that followed, Dash was met with the same result: Peppermint looking up from his clipboard after noting the cyan pegasus' outcome with a look of malcontent on his face, and Dash herself groaning with his unwillingness to share the information of her performance.

The final test required her to weave between walls of clouds, suspended both left and right, and up and down periodically down the stretch of a straight line. She barely touched the third to last wall with her hoof just slightly, which didn't go unnoticed to the pale green pegasus flying alongside her next to the course.

"I'm gonna have to add two seconds of penalty for touching that one wall. Other than that, you did fine," he said, after Rainbow rejoined him.

"Penalty? Are you serious? You're gonna add two seconds for that? I barely even grazed it! You better not be horsing around with me, or you'll be getting the what for!"

Peppermint was unswayed by the outburst. "I can add some more time to that, if you'd like."

Rainbow groaned in annoyance, biting her tongue as not to mess up her chance to join the Wonderbolts. In fact, not even once did this Peppermint character seem impressed with her performance. He was going over her results... disapprovingly.

"Tsk tsk tsk... Spitfire is not going to like this."

"What? Why? I didn't do bad, right? Right?" She almost panicked.

"Like I said before, can't tell you. All I can say is what I just said: Spitfire isn't going to be happy."

"But... But I..."

"Hey, don't sweat it, kid. Spitfire's easy to forgive and forget, and it's her call to let you in or not. Tell you what. Why don't I show you where the showers are, so you can freshen up. I'll be waiting outside, and take you to see Spitfire when you're done, see what she says. Sound good?"

"I guess..." Dash said in a defeated tone. The way Peppermint was talking to her, she was all but certain she had blown her chances. She had given it her all, but it wasn't enough. So what if she did a Sonic Rainboom twice. The first one was pure luck, and the other was to save a friend – and the Wonderbolts themselves, no less.

_Some repayment, _she thought as Peppermint showed her to the locker room. Each Wonderbolt had his or her own locker assigned to them, Rainbow noticed as she walked by them. With each name she passed, so did her resentment for them increase. She didn't flat-out hate them, but she was highly disappointed in them for her imminent rejection.

_NO! It's wrong to think of them that way_, she thought as she stepped under a nice, hot stream of water. _The Wonderbolts take only the best, and if I didn't make the cut, that means I have to train harder! Less napping, more flying, take double shifts for the weather team, eat right!_

She started to bite her lip as she fought back a small tear that was forming in the corner of her eye. She didn't like the situation she found herself in one bit, but at least she'd gotten a taste of what it takes to be a Wonderbolt, for as long as it lasted.

Turning off the faucet after an invigorating cleaning session, she shook herself as dry as she could get, and made her way back to the arena.

And nearly fainted.

There they all were, standing just outside the door leading from the hallway into the arena grounds. Spitfire, Soarin', and Rapidfire on one side, Fire Streak, Fleetfoot and Misty on the other. And they were all smiling at her.

Furthermore, a ways past the end of the double row, stood Peppermint, with behind him an object over which a tarp was draped, obscuring the actual object from view. He stepped forward.

"Surprised?"

"But... I... Spit... Wonder... You... WHA?" Rainbow stammered. She couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. Peppermint just chuckled.

"I think I'll let somepony else elaborate," he said as Spitfire made her way next to him.

"You see, Rainbow Dash," she began, "you know that we only take the best, and everypony knows you are right up there. So we decided to have a little fun with you, pull your tail a little. All of us here had no doubt you'd nail these tests-" she turned to look at Peppermint, who held out the test results before her "-and looking at the results, I'd say we were right."

Rainbow's head still swam a little as Spitfire's statement sank in. "But... He said you weren't going to be happy with my results..."

"We were hiding around while you did your stuff, keeping an eye on you and a mental note of each course's record time. Peppermint was right, I'm not happy about your performance. You broke every single one of our records, which means we'll have to train harder just to keep up with you." She smiled. "Think of this prank as your initiation rite."

Before Dash could recover enough and provide a proper response, baffled from the tsunami of praise her lifelong idol was showering her with, Spitfire moved to the tarp-covered object behind her, no larger than she was herself. She clenched the tarp in her teeth, and gave it a strong yank, revealing the secret it held underneath. Rainbow's eyes fell upon a pony-shaped mannequin, similar to those found in Rarity's fashion boutique. Only this one wasn't donned in some fancy Canterlot getup.

This one bore a Wonderbolt costume. _Her_ Wonderbolt costume.

"Rainbow Dash," Spitfire continued, gesturing at the mannequin, "Welcome to the Wonderbolts."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_

_**-Third and final chapter. Just a heads-up: it's not as bright and cheery as the others, but I do hope you'll like it. The 'drama' tag is there for a reason ;)**_

* * *

It has been a week since Rainbow had been accepted into the ranks of the Wonderbolts. In the meantime, she had shown off her newly acquired jumpsuit to all her friends, who were all very impressed and in great awe – Scootaloo not in the least – and she had also informed the others about the inevitable side-effect of joining her dream team: she would have less time to spend with them, which fortunately for her, all of them understood completely.

Of course, there were obligations she now had to follow. The rules of being a Wonderbolt were surprisingly lenient however: unless severely hindered, partaking in training sessions and performances was mandatory. During their downtime on the other hoof, she was free to spend her day as she pleased, as long as her physique remained in the same or better condition.

For the first few days though, she opted to spend time with her new team members. Being a lifelong fan of them already taught her a great deal about their past, but since she was now part of the team as long as her body would allow her to, she'd need to know as much about them as possible, and make herself feel as if she'd been a member since day one.

It would turn out Fleetfoot had a soft spot for poetry, and dragged Rainbow Dash along to an open-mic poetry club in the wealthier part of Cloudsdale. Dash wasn't particularly interested in stuff like that, but understood it meant a great deal to Fleetfoot.

Rapidfire had a knack for competition, though not as much as Dash did. Together with Misty, they had a great time enjoying a fun game of bowling, even though Misty ultimately turned out to be the victor.

Fire Streak was like a male version of Rarity. Though not a designer himself, he did had a keen eye for fashion and kept up with the latest trends, and his favorite pastime was trotting through the streets of Canterlot passing by the numerous boutiques. Rainbow made a mental note to introduce him to Rarity later. Who knows...

Today, it was Spitfire's turn. Rainbow planned to leave Soarin' for last, since she always carried a bit of a torch for him, and spending time with the other Wonderbolts first allowed her to pry bits of information about the blue-maned stallion from them. However, everypony seemed a bit hesitant to talk about him. Maybe Spitfire would be able to tell her something the others wouldn't.

Dash arrived at the building where Spitfire wanted to meet her. The latter was already there, waving at her as she got closer. She'd never been around this part of Ponyville before, so there was no telling of what to expect. It looked fancy, though.

"Hey, Spitfire!"

"Hi there, Dash. Ready for my guilty pleasure?"

"Sure! No offense to the others, but poetry and fashion aren't really up my alley. But I bet yours is ten times cooler than that!"

"Oh... Then, you're in for a cold shower, I'm afraid," Spitfire chuckled as they both wandered into the building.

"Why? What could be..." Dash froze in place as she looked around, realizing what kind of place she just entered.

* * *

"... And this painting by Van Neigh is my favorite. You can almost smell the blood, sweat and tears he poured into this masterpiece." Spitfire said as she halted before the particular canvas. Dash could only smell 'old.'

Time crept by ever so slowly as the two mares walked through the halls of the museum. Every turn they made took them to a hall that was, in Dash' opinion, more boring than the last. She couldn't wait to be back in Ponyville proper later tonight, for Pinkie had organized – what else – a party, on behalf of the latest addition to the Wonderbolts.

Dash looked up uninterested at the piece of "art." To her, it looked like a mishmash of colors all thrown together, as if paint cans were just pitched against the canvas. Even that ugly collage painting by Piccoltso a few halls back looked better than this. Yet, it was important to Spitfire, so she held her tongue.

"It's... nice, I guess." Spitfire turned her head towards the cyan pegasus, and smirked.

"You're a terrible liar, you know that? I can tell you're bored out of your mind. Still, I do appreciate you taking the time to be here. It was a very good call to get to know us better by taking a note of our interests. All of us should do the same with you and your hobby someday."

Glancing around nervously at nothing in particular, Dash tried to find a different topic to talk about. It was already hard enough to admit to her friends and princess Celestia she loved reading, but admitting it to the Wonderbolts was a different slice of cake.

"Uh, Spitfire, I've been meaning to ask you... What can you tell me about Soarin'?"

Spitfire looked at her quizzically. "Well, he loves reading. I know he likes that adventure series called 'Daring Do.'"

_Reading? Soarin' loves reading? Better yet, he loves reading Daring Do? _Rainbow thought to herself before replying. "Huh. Really?" Faking her true emotions seemed to work better this time.

"Yup. He wasn't very fond of the latest one, though. Something about surviving a rainnuke in a freezer box? That irked him quite a bit."

_Geez, thanks for the spoilers._

"But anyway, why are you asking me this?"

"Oh, I've hung out with everypony except Soarin'. He's the last one on my list, and then I've had a bit of personal time with every Wonderbolt."

Spitfire's face turned very grim all of a sudden. "Oh snap... Nopony told you yet?"

Dash looked puzzled. "Told me what?"

"Rainbow... Soarin' isn't a Wonderbolt anymore."

"WHAT?"

Rainbow's yell echoed throughout the spacious hall they found themselves in, causing every pony around them – even some in the connecting halls – to turn their heads in their direction, some of them startled, others irritated by the sudden shattering of tranquility.

Shooting a quick embarrassed look around the hall while covering her mouth with a hoof, Rainbow returned the volume of her voice back to normal, albeit still frantic.

"What do you mean, he's not a Wonderbolt anymore? Since when? He was there when I joined the team last week. What gives?"

Spitfire just turned away from the canvas they were standing in front of all this time, and beckoned for her to follow. "Let's go outside. We can talk more openly there."

Rainbow's entire 'plan' crumbled to pieces as she followed Spitfire to the second floor's balcony. Joining the Wonderbolts was already a once-in-a-lifetime dream come true, and that would've been enough for her. But the tiny possibility of her hooking up with Soarin' was there, and, as selfish as it sounds, would be a significant bonus added to her more-than-ever awesome life. She had always regarded Soarin' with slightly more adoration than the others. Was it love? A crush? Or was he just simply her favorite Wonderbolt? She didn't know. Being part of the Wonderbolts and questioning the other members allowed her to explore that unknown – and sometimes intimidating – terrain.

_But he's... gone. Out of the team. What could possibly have happened?_ Rainbow mused as she and Spitfire stepped outside in the cool afternoon air. The latter began to speak.

"Remember a few weeks back, when you bumped into Peppermint?" Rainbow nodded.

"And remember he asked me why you weren't part of the team yet?" She nodded again.

"And remember when I said-"

"Just say it already!" Rainbow cut her off this time, patience already depleted.

Spitfire swallowed before continuing. "Well, the general rule is that there can only be room for six Wonderbolts. This makes choreographing our performance all that much easier to coordinate." She sighed.

"Right after you won the Best Young Flyer competition, we were actually already thinking of you becoming the next Wonderbolt. When we saw you again at the Grand Galloping Gala and saved Soarin's pie, we wanted to talk to you to get to know you better, but all those high society ponies clambered pretty much all our attention. Then, when you bumped into Peppermint, I was in a hurry, so I couldn't spare the time. But it got me to thinking, and I brought it up the next time we were all together.

Everypony agreed you had to tryout first, but if you passed, that would mean one of us had to give up his or her spot. And ultimately, Soarin' was the only one, or at least the first one, to volunteer."

"You mean... Soarin' gave up his spot... just so I could live my dream?" Dash asked, to make absolutely sure she had heard everything right. Unnoticeable to anypony but her, her eyes started water up ever so slightly.

"That's right," Spitfire confirmed. "Truthfully, none of us wanted anypony to go, but at the same time, we all agreed you just HAD to be a part of the team. You had waited long enough, and you'd be a tremendous addition."

"But... what of Soarin'? What will he do now?"

"I know it sounds awful, but he assured us it was fine. He said he always wanted to try his hoof at writing, plus he was thinking of retiring soon anyway. I know him, though. He would've wanted to stay until he reached the top of his game. So... not to sound insensitive or anything, but next time you see him, I'd thank him."

Despite her preemptive apology, Dash got highly annoyed at the notion of her being ungrateful for what Soarin' did for her.

"Of course I'm going to thank him! What do you think?" she snapped, but then remembered who she was talking to, and tried to settle down. "Is he invited to tonight's party as well?"

"Uh... yeah, he is. We all are, actually. Makes me wonder how an earth pony managed to get an invitation to my house..."

"Yeah... One thing you gotta know about Pinkie Pie: you don't question Pinkie Pie. Believe me, you'll spend forever trying to figure it out. Anyway, thanks for telling me. I'll talk to Soarin' tonight."

"Good," Spitfire said as she started making her way back inside the museum. "Well, let's continue, shall we? There's this one sculpture by Salem Trotlum that you just HAVE to see..."

Rainbow silently groaned, and followed her captain.

* * *

"And there's the mare of the hour! Everypony, Rainbow Dash is here!"

Sugarcube Corner was packed to the brim with ponies of all sorts, as was usually the case when Pinkie threw one of her trademarked parties. Rainbow was receiving praise and congratulations from all directions the further she walked into the store. She was already glancing around to see if could catch a glimpse of Soarin' anywhere, but there were simply too many ponies around her to get a decent look. So instead, for now, she would simply socialize and take in the praise.

A few hours later, the biggest commotions had died down a bit. Ponies were dancing to music in one part of the store, others were playing games in another part, while some ponies simply talked or consumed some of the wonderful treats and drinks the mass of pink had provided.

Rainbow had introduced the Wonderbolts to her other friends, the latter telling the former just how much Rainbow Dash meant to them. Not to mention all the adventures they went through together, her being one-sixth of the Elements of Harmony.

After the latest topic of conversation, Dash remembered something important she had to do.

"Hey, has anypony seen Soarin'? I really need to talk to him." The question was directed more at the Wonderbolts rather than the others, for they didn't know Soarin' personally.

The team members looked at each other, shrugging and negatively shaking their heads as they did.

"Maybe he's around here somewhere. It's unlike him not to show up, even if he's not a member anymore," Misty said.

"Yeah, maybe... I'll have a look around, see if I can find him," Rainbow said, and broke herself from the group.

Yet, everywhere she went inside the shop, there was no sign of him, nor had anypony seen him. She was starting to get worried, and made her way back to the group of ten ponies she left earlier.

"Guys, I can't find him, and nopony's seen him. Who knows where he lives? I wanna to make sure he's okay."

"Yeah, I know where he lives," Fire Streak said.

"Me too," Fleetfoot added. "I'll tag along."

"Thanks, guys. Sorry, everypony else, but Soarin' is the main reason I'm a Wonderbolt now. I just need to check he's fine. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise!"

"Do you Pinkie promise?" the hostess of the party quirked up.

"Pinkie, I don't have time for your shena-" Rainbow cut herself off, remembering who she was talking to. "... I promise."

Pinkie tilted her head upwards and to the left, while keeping her eyes fixed on the pegasus and smiling in anticipation. "Saaaaay iiiiit..."

"Ugh... Cross my heart and never cry, something something apple pie, gotta run!"

"Hey, that's not how it goes!" Pinkie exclaimed, but Dash was already too far away, chasing after Fleetfoot and Fire Streak.

* * *

_Who needs that earth pony's party? I'm having a blast on my own here!_

Soarin' stumbled around in his home, discarding the umpteenth empty bottle, seized a full one, and used his teeth to remove the cap, which sealed away the intoxicating liquid.

_Well hey there, good-lookin'. You'll look even better when I can see right through you..._ he thought, and proceeded to bring the tip of the bottle to his lips. Raising it, the inebriating liquid generously cascaded down his throat.

Despite claiming otherwise, Soarin' didn't want to leave the Wonderbolts in the least. Yet all of them unanimously agreed Rainbow Dash would be the most valuable asset to the team in a long time, and somepony had to give up his or her spot, and he couldn't stand to see anypony else leaving.

In addition, the blue-maned pegasus always thought of himself as the least skilled Wonderbolt, despite counterarguments from the rest of the team. He had proven time and time again he had everything it took to be part of the aerial flight crew. But despite all the praise, from both his team and his fans, he was always thinking of ways to improve his routine, pitching it to his captain when he felt satisfied enough with them. But it was never truly enough for him, and inspiration started to wane. Thus he came to the conclusion his moment of glory had passed, and volunteered to sacrifice his spot in favor of the cyan, rainbow-color haired pegasus.

But with all the spare time he now suddenly had on his hooves, he didn't know what to do with it. There were only so many books he would be interested in reading, writing one of his own turned out to be too tedious, and doing what he did best – thinking of new moves for the Wonderbolts – now proved redundant. At that point, without having anything better to do, he had his first sample of liquor... and it felt good. It relaxed him, soothed him, comforted him. As if he had found a brand new and instantly best friend.

As time went on with each passing day, Soarin' found that he required more of his friend with every container he emptied to reestablish the same feeling he experienced the first time. He hardly ate or slept. The liquid meant for social gathering and mild consumption had turned the once proud stallion into a ghost of his former stature, and the less he cared the more often his new friend visited him.

Today was no different. It got to the point of Soarin's living room floor being littered with empty bottles, which made navigating a perilous task. After adding another addition to the floor stained with intact debris made of glass, a rap sounded.

"Soarin'? Are you in there? It's Fire Streak and Fleetfoot. Please, open up!" it sounded from the other side of his front door. Absentmindedly, he picked up another filled bottle from the case sitting on the couch next to him, and popped it as he got up, letting loose a stifled groan.

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses, I'm -hic- comin'..."

He'd never make it to the front door the way he intended. Because of the drowsiness that was dominating his eyesight, he didn't noticed one too many stray bottles laying in his path. Stepping on the bottle with his left hoof, the right holding a filled one, he immediately stumbled forward as he lost his hoofing as it rolled out from underneath him. His head contacted the front door with enough force to send him staggering, and eventually slumped down on the floor, several bottles emitting chimes are they got knocked about by the stallion, who was rapidly losing consciousness. He could barely even hear the worried shouting from outside his house as his world faded to black...

* * *

Soarin' creaked his eyes open, putting ever so much effort into such a menial task. He sluggishly blinked several times trying to make out his surroundings.

It was dark, and he could hardly make out any features of this unfamiliar room. Figuring it was night, he turned his head towards the window he could spot from the corner of his left eye, which was another menial task, but his strained neck made it ever so painful to actually do it.

Looking outside for as far as he was able to see, he confirmed for himself it was night. Luna's mercurial orb appeared from behind a darkened cloud that was hiding it from the world, and shone its weak light into the room, allowing Soarin' to get a better look at his current location.

What he suspected turned out to be true: he was in a hospital room. Lifting up his left hoof, he felt some small resistance pulling on his skin, which turned out to be an infusion. Lifting his other, unrestrained hoof, he touched his forehead, where a big, throbbing lump could be felt – not necessarily to the touch.

*SNORT*

Slightly started by the noise, Soarin' jerked his head to the other side of the bed he was in, momentarily forgetting and instantly reminded about his sore neck. Wincing, he could barely make out the form of a pegasus slumped in a chair next to him, rainbow-colored strands of hair half-covering her face.

"Rainbow... Dash...?" his voice croaked.

Though she was utterly exhausted, hearing a noise in the room that wasn't made by herself caused her to shoot her eyes open.

"Soarin'! You're awake!" She jumped from the chair onto the male pegasus to wrap him in a tight, compassionate hug, a move he wasn't anticipating, and the jolt of pain released by his sore nervous system made sure he was very much more awake than a second before.

"AUGH! Careful! Everything hurts!" he groaned, trying hard not to scream out loud.

"Sorry! I'm sorry..." Rainbow said as she let go of him. Immediately after, she knelt besides his bed, drowned her face into the sheets, and burst into tears. "... I'M SO SORRY!"

Soarin' had no idea what she was talking about. Slightly confused, he gently tapped, then stroked his hoof across her mane, her head bopping with sobs as he did.

"Hey, hey now... It's okay. You've got nothing to be-"

"YES I DO!" Dash yelled as she jerked her head up, not caring in the least she was in a hospital where other ponies were trying to sleep.

"I nearly got you killed, Soarin'. _Killed!_ All because of my stupid dream to join the Wonderbolts. And it nearly got you KILLED!"

Soarin' tried to recollect the events of the past few days. Pretty much everything was a blur, not long after he started to have his first few drinks. Thinking of the intoxicating liquid now suddenly seemed repulsive rather than appealing.

"... How long have I been here?"

"Three days..." Rainbow answered with a cracking voice. "... my friend Pinkie Pie had organized a party for me and had invited everypony I know, but when you didn't show up, Fire Streak, Fleetfoot and I came to find you. We came to your door, but I guess when you tried to open it, you fell and crashed against it. We made our way inside after hearing the commotion, and found you passed out on the floor... and whiskey bottles all over the place. Soarin'... you nearly drank yourself to death."

Soarin' reached for the sore spot on his forehead again, vaguely remembering the events Dash had just recapitulated.

"I... think I remember... But, I don't see how that's your fault..."

"But it is!" she said, raising her voice to get the message across. "If I wasn't so hellbent on joining the Wonderbolts, you wouldn't be forced to give up your spot so I could join! I want to live my dream, but I don't want it to come at the expense of anypony's life!" She laid her hoof on top of his. "... Your life."

"But, Rainbow... I wasn't forced. I left willingly."

"And look where that got you."

He sighed. "Okay, I'll bite. I didn't want to leave. I just kept striving to be better, and when my inspiration ran dry, I figured my hay-day was over. But with all the extra time on my hooves, so many new ideas popped up. But without anypony to share them with, I just... began drinking." He grabbed Rainbow's hoof with both of his own, and looked her dead in the eyes. "I just wanted to make you happy."

Rainbow's lip quivered as new tears started to form in her eyes. "I'm not happy if you're not happy," she said with a shaking voice.

She swallowed, trying to drown out the bitterness of it all. "That's why I talked to Spitfire. I don't want to be a Wonderbolt. Not like this. She agreed to let you back in."

Soarin's eyes grew wide in bafflement. "But... what about you? What about your dream?"

"My dream can wait. It's not worth it if it means shattering the life of another pony's. I wouldn't be able to live with myself." She brought Soarin's hoof to her left cheek, and gently rubbed against it. "Please?"

Straining as much as he could, biting through the pain coursing though his body, Soarin' leaned forward towards Rainbow. Seeing him coming closer and the pain he was enduring, she helped by bringing herself closer to him. He planted a small kiss on her other cheek and silently whispered a few heart-felt words, which caused new tears to stream down her face.

"Thank you for saving me..."

They sat there in silence, simply relishing in each others company. After a few minutes, Rainbow quietly fractured that silence.

"Soarin'?"

"Yeah?"

"... I owe you a new window."

* * *

The entirety of Ponyville was relaxing in the park, sitting on their own picnic cloths and enjoying their meals among friends and families, while the Wonderbolts above put on a special "Welcome back, Soarin'!" performance. One group of ponies in particular on the ground stood out.

Rainbow was gathered with all of her friends, Spike included, pointing her hoof up in the sky as she was aiming for Misty.

"Look! I suggested she'd do a barrel roll when coming out of that turn, so she could keep up her speed. And it works!" She squealed, the sight of the pegasus taking her advice to heart.

Twilight looked at the pegasus beside her. "I'm still so amazed that you were willing to postpone your dream out of selflessness, Rainbow Dash. I'm really proud of you. You truly are the embodiment of loyalty."

"Thanks, Twi'," she replied, slightly blushing. "I'll be a Wonderbolt again someday, but until then, I've got the next best thing," she said while scanning the sky, looking for a particular pony.

"Didn't Soarin' say he was planning something special for you, darling?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah, though I don't see... Oh, there he is!" she pointed.

Out of nowhere, Soarin' shot out from behind a cloud, leaving a smoke trail behind him.

He climbed into a loop, but when he got halfway, he did another tiny loop, and continued on his way from the original maneuver, creating a giant heart in the sky. He then skimmed straight over the heads of the crowd below, making sure he passed by Rainbow Dash's, who waved at him in response, her face forced in the biggest smile she could manage.

* * *

_Dear Princess Celestia_

_Over the past few weeks, I've learned that chasing your dreams is something you should never give up on. But no dream is worth the expense of another pony's dream, let alone another pony, which I had to find out the hard way. I got so blinded by the wish to fulfill my dream, I was unaware of the consequences that goal might bring._

_Sometimes, we have to put off our dreams for what really matters, but never, ever let them go. If a pony doesn't have a dream to live for, that pony simply can't enjoy life anymore. Life is already far too short as it is, so there should always be something to live for, even if it means putting off your dreams forever._

_Yours sincerely  
Rainbow Dash_


End file.
